Australia take on New Zealand in the second Test match of the two-match series at the Bellerive Oval in Hobart. We’ll bring you the live scores and commentary of the action throughout the day, with the game starting at 10.30 am local time.
Despite nearly half the side changing because of injuries, Australia did well to take the lead in Brisbane at the Gabba in the First Test.
Michael Clarke’s century in the first innings and James Pattinson’s five-wicket haul in the second were cornerstones of the side’s success.
New Zealand were woeful when they batted, and dropped chances and wickets off no-balls did not help their cause.
Daniel Vettori continued to wage a lone battle, with Dean Brownlie showing some promise with the bat. But the top-order collapses in both innings undermined their effort.
Pace bowler Ben Cutting did not feature in the first game and copped an injury while bowling for Queensland afterward. He was replaced by Daniel Christian in the squad for this game.
Christian’s was a surprise selection but he will need to wait a little longer before he wears the Baggy Green.
Clarke has confirmed the same starting XI as the previous Test, the first time they have retained the team since winning the Perth Test match last year.
Phil Hughes will know he is the focus of much attention. The critics have panned his wobbly technique and streaky strokes through (or to) the slips, while others have exhorted for some patience while dealing with him.
Talks of Ricky Ponting’s retirement have subsided after his consecutive half-centuries but a Test match century has been elusive. A hundred at home will be a perfect way to set himself up for the India series.
Both the New Zealand captain and coach have slammed the Kiwi batting in the first game. But expect no changes to the line-up and BJ Watling should continue to sit out.
The forecast is for no rains but it could start off as a cloudy day at Hobart that may aid the swing bowlers. Clarke admitted that it was a greener-than-usual pitch and batting could be difficult on the first day.
Both sets of seam bowlers would like to fire in off this deck on the opening day. How they perform when the pitch flattens out will hold the key to their sides’s success.
We will bring you the coverage throughout the day and hope to receive your opinions as the action unfolds.
jameswm
Guest
I think they started with 3 slips and 3 gullies, then changed it to 4 slips and 2 gullies. He still managed to snick his 1st ball through for 4 though! FP, because it's 2 of 9 innings, and the other 7 were failures. And he averages 35 in test cricket and 25 in the last 12 months. I would have thought they are moderately compelling arguments for getting rid of him. Would you keep him now?
CJ
Guest
People keep saying "Watson down the order", but apparently he doesn't want to. Not only that, but he's been a really solid to good to great opening bat (not a lot of hundreds to call him amazing), and I doubt it's easy to switch around on that. Clarke wants to bat 4, so Clarke will bat 4. Unless Ponting gets promoted - which I wouldn't mind if it was made clear that this doesn't make him a lock for selection - it'll surely be Watson-Hughes/Warner-Khawaja-Clarke-Ponting-Hussey; where Marsh may come in for Khawaja (unlucky) or the other young opener (maybe). The opening pair could conceivably be any combination of Watson, Marsh, Warner, Khawaja and Hughes, with another (Khawaja or Marsh) batting third. You'd like to think the two remaining batsmen (plus Christian) could come in for Ponting if he can't get it together. Who knows, he might.
Oracle
Guest
The great Rodney Hogg suggested earlier in the week that NZ set a field of 4 slips and 5 gullies for Phil Hughes. The great man was on the money again!
Fisher Price
Guest
Watson could bat at No.4. So long as the opening slots are sorted out, he shouldn't always have to face the new ball. If Watson bats as low as 6, I fear Clarke will over-bowl him and risk injury.
Fisher Price
Guest
Hughes vs Ishant Sharma would likely itself to be mismatch seeing that Chris Martin has snared the nicker three times in a row.
Fisher Price
Guest
Fair question!
Bob
Guest
Why do the rookies have to bat at 3? Would have thought that Ponting is now better suited to 4 or 5 so why shouldn't the captain and best bat assume the responsibility? Then there will be room for Watson in the middle order.
Red Kev
Guest
And that's a problem and very stupid (if the selectors do that) because Khawaja has ONE duck in 43 innings and an average over 55 in shield cricket. He has solid technique and a good patient temperament, he is the one top order guy they should not drop.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
And the play has been officially called off for the day. An exciting day (or half a day) of cricket, which saw Australia win the toss and bowl NZ out for 150. Pattinson grabbed five while Hughes' travails continued and he was dismissed for four before the rain came down and called for an early end to the proceedings. Thank you for joining me today. Thanks for all your comments and feedback and we look forward to your company tomorrow for what should be an equally exciting day of cricket.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
As it continues to rain at the Bellerive Oval, here is a bit on the forthcoming India's tour of Australia. India have never won a Test series in Australia, and will be coming off a 4-0 shelling at the hands of England. They were woeful in England and injuries played their part as well. Now, most of those injured players are fit again. Zaheer Khan is expected to take up the new ball after having limped off on the first day of the English tour. Umesh Yadav is a recent find and can, for a change, bowl quick while Ishant Sharma is the other quickie who should share the attack. The big news is that Harbhajan Singh will not tour, losing his place to poor form and R Ashwin. And the latest is that Praveen Kumar is injured and will be replaced by little-known pace bowler Abhimanyu Mithun. Interestingly, the selectors sprung a surprise by naming Mithun as a replacement for Kumar when the entire nation was baying for the inclusion of Irfan Pathan. Pathan has had a good first class season in India and can add solidity to the batting as well. The rest are all the usual suspects, Sehwag, Gambhir to open, Dravid, Tendulkar and Laxman in the middle with the duo of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli fighting for the number six spot. Dhoni to captain and keep. Gambhir's form is a big worry - he hasn't shown any form or consistency recently and injuries seem to have taken toll. Between Rohit and Kohli, the former should get it on form while the latter on the rank in the pecking order. Tough choice that. Interesting four Tests ahead, starting December 26.
Chuck Norris
Guest
No, I think even Bradman has a better chance of coming back from the dead and opening for Australia than Katich. The Australian selectors are narrow-minded and stubborn. They keep faith in guys like Hughes who obviously doesn't have a technique that can hold up at the top level while Katich, who was one of the best 3 batsmen in the team at the time, gets dropped just because he doesn't get along with the captain. The selectors are ignorant and arrogant. I don't see how Hughes or Ponting haven't been dropped according to their form...
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
...and it starts to rain again. This could just ensure that the last ball has already been bowled today. Wait for more updates.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Inspection at 5 pm. The official close of play occurs at 5.30 pm with a provision for extension up to 6.00 pm. If the light permits, that is.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
If present form in Sheffield Shield was to be a criteria, Cowan definitely deserves a go with his two centuries and an unbeaten 91. But in the games before that he has scores of 25, 18, 11, 6, 20, 65, 40, 5 and 11. Then again, there has been no-one to grab the opener's slot. Opening a can of worms here, but does Simon Katich even have 1% of a chance?
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
The rain has stopped, the covers should soon be off but it isn't yet known whether more play will be possible today. Only 50.1 overs of play has been possible so far today.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Still raining by the way and the chances of further play look remote. Australia have lost Phil Hughes for four and were 1/12 when the rains came down. Earlier, New Zealand were bundled out for 150 on a green-looking Bellerive Oval. Dean Brownlie top-scored for New Zealand with 56, but the story of the day was James Pattinson's second successive five-for.
Joey Jo Jo
Guest
I'd like to see Watson down at number six and Warner opening with Khawaja and Marsh at three. I think Ponting should have had the good grace to retire and play out his last game in Hobart but given that didn't happen I think Khawaja probably bows out for now. Just out of interest how do Klingers stats from the last couple of seasons stack up against the rest of the contenders? He's been pretty much the only thing holding an already flimsy SA top order together...
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
The unfortunate part for Hughes is that had he seen through this storm, the Indian bowling may have been that bit easier to take on - although Zaheer Khan has professed his love for left-handed victims before. Khawaja, I believe, needs to be given a longer rope but in the middle-order. Again unfortunately, there isn't much space currently in the middle unless the selectors decide to make do with Ponting or Hussey. Will that happen for the India series, I don't think so. And if Warner does not get his bearings right in these two innings at Hobart, the selectors could just need to burn the midnight oil to decide on the playing 11 for December 26.
scott
Guest
I live 40 km away from test match and we never got enough rain to wet the ground, nothing like hobart got
jameswm
Guest
The vitriol isn't aimed at Hughes - no one dislikes him. It's at the selectors for continuing to pick him. He's embarrassing to watch - he lasted how many balls? And his only runs were a snick through slips. Here's yous big chance Davey Warner. Big 100 here, and you're in for a bit. Khawaja's on a bit of make or break too. He's a bit lucky to still be there, so time to make use of it. After what Punter did to him last time out, he's probably due a bit of luck.